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Fontana Unified School District

  • Fontana Unified Educator Selected as Finalist for California State Teacher of the Year Award

    Live Oak Elementary School teacher Michelle Vazquez discovered her calling for teaching and advocacy at a young age, growing up in a family that ran a foster home for adults with special needs. Vazquez credits her childhood for teaching her the importance of dignity, patience, and creating spaces where everyone feels valued. It’s a lesson the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) teacher has carried with her throughout her 16-plus years in education. That dedication helped lead to her recognition as Live Oak Elementary and Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) 2024-25 Teacher of the Year, as well as one of the 2026 San Bernardino Countywide Teachers of the Year. With the county recognition, Vazquez is now a finalist for the 2026 California Department of Education Teacher of the Year award.

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  • Fontana Unified to Expand Student Services by Uniting Award-Winning Continuation Schools

    Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) will strengthen and broaden academic and support services for its continuation high school students as it merges its two Model Continuation High Schools, Citrus and Eric Birch, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Both continuation schools will consolidate under the name Eric Birch High School, relocating to the former Citrus High site at 10760 Cypress Ave., and adopting the Citrus Jaguars mascot. The FUSD Board of Education approved the merger and an estimated $150,000 cost associated with renaming the Citrus campus to Eric Birch High School during its June 18 meeting. Fontana Unified’s continuation school instruction has been recognized by the California Department of Education (CDE) for its comprehensive excellence. Both Citrus and Eric Birch earned Model Continuation School designations from the CDE for their innovative approach to alternative education, with Citrus earning the three-year status in 2023 and Eric Birch securing recognition in 2024, which extends into the 2025-26 school year.

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  • Fontana Unified to Celebrate Renaming of O’Day Short Elementary School, Honor Family’s Legacy

    Fontana Unified will host a renaming ceremony as Randall Pepper Elementary School officially transitions to O’Day Short Elementary in the 2025-26 school year, honoring the O’Day Short Family, which is remembered for breaking Fontana’s color barrier 80 years ago. District middle school student Cyrus Moss championed the renaming of O’Day Short Elementary. Moss submitted a petition with 132 signatures to rename Randall Pepper Elementary to the Fontana Unified Board of Education in March 2024. The Board unanimously voted to rename the school in September 2024 after all administrative regulations were met.

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Four Fontana High School Students Named 2021 Dell Scholars, Receive $20,000 Scholarships

Fontana High School seniors Victor Campos, Karen Hurtado-Mendez, Phillip Olguin and Kimberly Sandoval have been named 2021 Dell Scholars by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, an honor that comes with $20,000 scholarships to support their dreams of higher education. All four honorees are high-achieving scholars, with plans to attend four-year universities – such as UC Irvine, UCLA and University of La Verne – and pursue careers that support community betterment. As Dell Scholars, Campos, Hurtado-Mendez, Olguin and Sandoval will receive their scholarships over four years, as well as a laptop and textbook credits.

Fontana Unified Begins Return to In-Person Elementary Instruction April 5

Fontana Unified School District will initiate a phased return to in-person instruction for elementary school students, welcoming transitional kindergarteners through second-grade students back to campus on Monday, April 5 and grades three to five on Monday, April 12. Under the Board of Education-approved modified hybrid instructional model, each class will be split into three cohorts: Cohort A will receive in-person instruction on Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort B will engage in distance learning; Cohort B will receive in-person instruction on Thursdays and Fridays and Cohort A will participate in distance learning; and students in Cohort C will remain in full distance learning. Wednesdays will be dedicated to wellness and attendance checks, as well as teacher/administrator-directed time. Deep cleaning and sanitation would also take place on Wednesdays

Fontana Unified Elementary School Student Lifts Spirits, Supports Peers with Gift Card Fundraising Drive

Canyon Crest Elementary School fifth-grader Noah Walker wanted to do more to help families facing hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiating a community fundraiser, Walker raised approximately $650 and used it to purchase a variety of gift cards – including McDonalds, Target, and other food-related cards – for selected Canyon Crest families. The gift cards were distributed from March 29 to April 2, providing families in need with additional support.

Fontana Unified Opens Applications for Spanish Dual-Language Program

Fontana Unified School District is accepting applications for 2021-22 enrollment in its Spanish Dual-Language Immersion (DLI) program, which begins in kindergarten and is offered at Redwood Elementary School and Dolores Huerta International Academy. The DLI program aims to foster bilingualism and biliteracy, sociocultural competency and high levels of academic achievement. For more information, visit www.fusd.net/enrollment.

Fontana Unified Educator Named Redwood Elementary School Principal

Fontana Unified educator Jorge Arauz has been named principal of Redwood Elementary School, bringing 21 years of experience to the role. Arauz takes the helm at Redwood Elementary School after serving as an assistant principal in the District for nearly five years. He was instrumental in bringing new educational opportunities to Southridge Tech Middle School, aiding in its transformation into a Microsoft Showcase School and furthering the school’s candidacy to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme. Arauz’s efforts to engage students in a globally focused education and celebrate multiculturalism and diversity will continue at Redwood Elementary, which offers a Spanish Dual-Language Immersion program.

Fontana Unified Elementary School to Provide Students with Plush Therapy Tools, Bolster Personal Connection

Almond Elementary School showed appreciation to students and families on March 31, presenting them with therapy dolls designed to provide comfort and reestablish much-needed personal connections. Every Almond student received a Mimbleball, a five-inch round polyester doll with button eyes and long acrylic hair, that helps relieve stress and anxiety and can be enjoyed by all age groups. The Mimbleballs were distributed during the school’s weekly meal distribution, with principal Tim McCaffrey greeting students dressed as a giant Mimbleball.

Fontana Unified Student Supports Peers with Gift Card Fundraising Drive

Canyon Crest Elementary School fifth-grader Noah Walker wanted to do more to help families facing hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiating a community fundraiser, Walker raised approximately $650 and used it to purchase a variety of gift cards – including McDonald’s, Target, and other food-related cards – for families in need. The gift cards will be distributed to families beginning Monday, March 29 and continue throughout the week. Canyon Crest Elementary is at 11851 Cherry Ave., Fontana.

Fontana Unified Career Technical Education Students Go for the Gold in SkillsUSA Competition, Advance to State Contest

Summit High School career technical education (CTE) students delivered impressive performances at the SkillsUSA Region 6 2021 Virtual Leadership and Skill Conference, earning 15 gold medals and sending 46 students to the state finals, to be held in April. From entrepreneurship and cyber security to pin design, Summit students rose to the challenge of the virtual format, medaling or placing in 17 separate categories. Medalists included Aaron Vera, Emma Hernandez, Natalia Ramirez and Jade Centeno, who captured gold in Entrepreneurship for their startup app Wisteria, a healthcare platform that allows users to access a wide range of mental health services and resources, with the goal of increasing equity in mental health resources for underrepresented populations.

Fontana Unified Administrators Honored by ACSA Region 12 for Excellence in Leadership

Fontana Unified School District administrators were honored for excellence in leadership by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 12 Board of Directors, earning 2021 ACSA Administrator Awards. The FUSD honorees are Almeria Middle School Principal Kim Bente, Middle Grades Principal of the Year; Director of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Ayesha Brooks, Student Services Administrator of the Year; Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Michael Garcia, Valuing Diversity Administrator of the Year; Fontana High School Assistant Principal Marissa Quintero, Secondary Co-administrator of the Year; and Dolores Huerta International Academy Assistant Principal Janet Rivera, Elementary Co-administrator of the Year.

Fontana Unified Approves Plan to Resume In-Person Instruction for Elementary Students in April

Fontana Unified School District has approved a phased return to in-person instruction for elementary school students, with plans to welcome transitional kindergarteners through second-grade students back to campus on April 5 and grades three to five on April 12. The target return date was approved alongside a modified hybrid instructional model, which would consist of three cohorts of students, by the Board of Education during a March 3 special meeting.